ST. LOUIS (AP) — A financially struggling operator of more than 2,000 U.S. portrait studios in locations such as Wal-Mart and Sears stores has abruptly shuttered those outlets, leaving some laid-off workers scrambling — without pay — to make good on customers’ orders.

St. Louis-based CPI Corp., called Thursday’s announcement “sad” in a two-paragraph statement on its website, insisted it was trying to fulfill as many orders as possible and urged customers with questions to contact their local store.